Thermoelectric sprinkler head



pril 18, 1933. C, E` GREEN 1,904,828

THERMOELECTRI C SPRINKLER HEAD Filed Jan. 28, 1930 z 6 muy giri-Eau El Kl i MA 'l l 6" 1* j 30 J0 a Il gwn/Oude@ Wal-Zas .5? ree.

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Patented Apr. 18, 17933 Y UNr11-fr; r

CHARLES fn. eiuazni\r,`` oF lrntv'ruoxnrjnnonn ','Isrrelyfrressrsfisoitrawruonm' A soREW ooMPANY; org PAWTUoKnT, nHonn grsrlAun, n ooRronA'rroNv or girona ISLAND 'l rniinnontnofrno SPR;iaizfnn'nl :anni y,

p Appncatid sied, Janur'y'za 193x511 vserial No, 424,032',`

The present invention relates teithermally controlled sprinklingapparatus Vforbuild ings and more particularly toy means fr releasablyinitiating thelowV of wat'erin the event of suiicient heat beinggenerated in the vicinity of the device, and in the provision of controlmeansfor the-device; l

`More specifically the present deviceis a sprinkling head constructedand arrangedto release, a iiow controlling valve in the headv uponexcess of temperature, such `as would be produced in the eventof are,=thereby releasing a fire extinguishing spray of Wa-Vv ter. 'i Y Mostdevices of this nature rel 'for'h their operation upon the melting ory ausible link, directly from the heat of the ire,this'mel t ing, releasingcertain elements whichp'er mit the spray valve to open; i

The sprinkling device, however, must perorce be locatedat asuicientheight 'above the floor to permit of `a spraying overa Widearea, and a fire `starting adjacent the floor may gain considerableheadway before the heat therefrom reaches a sufficient temiY perature atthe location of the'rfusiblelink to permit the sprinklerto come? intoaction, and accordingly, one o f 'the objects of lthe presentinventionis to provide means ,located ata strategic point inthe'room, asfor example adjacent theoor or 'in' any other suitable position,Yfor'controlling the sprinkler even'before the heat from the fire issufficiently great to directly melt the link.

Another object resides in the provision of valve releasing means, whichWhile adapted for remote control'is also capable of being directlycontrolled, should the lire occur close tothe sprinkler. j 1

The present invention contemplates a sprinkler head having agpair oftoggle arms which are held normally'tensioned by a fusible link,therebyto hold the flow controlling valve closed, but which upon meltingof the linkrwill release the'` valve`.` While thelink Vitself may bemelted directlyv by the` ire,'a

thermostat orV thermostatic switch "is''lprovided inelectricalconnection-with the linka' whereby upon actuation Vof"thethermostat byheat, from a lire, a-current of electricity sutficientlystrongVtoffusethelink `will be passed throughthedeviceand" the* valve thusVf-To the attainment of these and other Aobv jects of the inventionwhich will appearias the Adescription proceeds, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing, in which?? l' 1 Fig. 1; representsa sidelelevation partly inv Fig.` 3 is an Velevationllooking to the leftorfFigManuSu ,section of thesprinklerhead and the control Figli is adetail perspective ofa toggle Y lever link which-controls the device.

flThe generalprinciples and construction of this devicearesimilar in themaintothe many similar,` articles and systems heretofore-proposed andion the market, but, in the accompanying description in which likereference numerals" designate like parts, it

will'be seen'that there `isprovided afhead orframe member v-10 having ahollow, threaded portion 11 by means of -which'the head `is, mounted ina pipe line.V `At the top ofV the frame, is a spreader or delector12which acts, upon operation'of Vthe ydevice to throw the Water issuingfrom the hollow threaded portion 11 over the controlled area.l Thisspreader -is adjustably mounted by me'anslof a threaded stem 13 in theframe Y Y 10,il the stem having a notch '.14 at its lower 611,--

The -upper end of the hollow, threaded portion `11fis formedl lvvithVaseat 16 for al valve 15,` this valve having -a notchl disposedsubstantially oppositev to thenotch 14,'-and both notches ar'elocatedonthe center line of the frame. Y

A pair of toggle levers 18 and 19 are pro-k vided, the upper lever` 18having a portion seating' in the notch 1'4 and the lower lever 19 havinga similar portion se'ated in the' notch 17. ,A toggle link 2Ois-pivotedfat' 21 lto the link 19, vanda' secondV toggle'link ,Y

22 formed ofinsulating material, such as- Bakelite, ispivoted at 23tothe lever 18. This link 22 isprovided with abifurca'tedf extension`24: in advance Vof its piv'fotal-"pointV and the link 2O is provided atits free end with a pin 25 extending from both sides of the link,whereby when the l-ink 2O is mounted in the bifurcated portion 24, thepin will engage the sides of the portion 24 and retain the linksnormally in engagement.

Connecting the end ofthe link 22 opposite its bifurcated portion, withthe lever 19 is a fuse link 26, this fusible member being retained inposition by a terminal bolt 27 in theilink 22, and a similar terminalboltI 28 in the lever 19. It will be obvious that the links 2O and 22,when held in position by l the fusible member 26, (Fig. 1) will act toretain the toggle levers 18 andr 19 against movement, and that, byvirtue of the leverage provided through use of the links, less tensilestrain is placed on the member 26 Vof heat generated by fire in thevicinity than would be the caseif the links were omitted. j n

,u Suitable leads 29 and SOare provided from the Vterminals 27 and 28 toa thermostatic switch 21 located at a suitable point in the room, thusplacing the fuse 26 in a circuit normally held open by the thermostat,but adapted to be closed upon actuationthereof. Between the oppositeends ofthe toggle levers from the links, Va rockerfhinge 31 is provided,which hinge acts as a spacer during-assemblage' ofthe links Aand levers.

In assembling the device, after the links are connected, at one end Vofthe levers, the

other end of the levers 18 and 19 are'placed' in their respectiveseats14 and :.17 with the hinge 31 therebetween and heldin place bytension. The tension is applied by adjustment of the spreader 12 throughits threaded portion 13 on the one side, and by pressure of wateragainst the valve v15 from the other side. This adjustment and pressure,places compression on the levers atone side of spacer 81, and the fuse26 and the links 20 and 22 act to prevent movement of the levers on theother side of the spacer, and

hence are placed under a tension.

The device may be assembled by vplacing an initial tension throughdepression of link 22, and inal tension through adjustment of spreader12, it being understood that the ends of lever 18 and`19 and thespreader 31 have been placedfin the frame 10.

Having thus described the invention, the operation thereof is readilyapparent. The terminal nut Y10 being attached to the thermostaticswitch, acts to connect the thermostat to thefusible element 26, and thethermostat upon operation caused by the action closes the circuitthrough the fusible element, which fusible' element, as stated above,Yis preferably wire, formed `ofeasily meltable material. Being unable tostand the Vload the fuseA will melt thus removing` all restraint lfromthe link 22 and permitting samer to partake of a pivotal movement. This.passing centrally through the notches 14 and 17 (see line 2-2 of Fig.1), and as the downward pressure from the spreader is along Vthis line,obviously such pressure is only from the fulcrum formed by hinge 31 tothe line, and from the fulcrfum to the outer ends of the vleversL18-,19, there will be a tendency toward upward movement which movementis normally prevented b-y the elements 22 and 20, which are restrainedby the fuse 26.1

Consequently, upon a deficiency of the fuse 26 the water `pressure willcause van upward movement of the end of lever 19, about the hinge 31 asa fulcrum, and this movement will tend to drop the right hand end (asviewed in Fig. 1) of the lever 19 drawing down the link 20, While theterminal end of link 22 is rising.

As this toggle movement is taking place, the valve 15 is, of course,opening wider unseated, and is free to drop, whereupon the water beingprojected by its own pressure against the spreader 12, will act toextinguish the fire.

Of course, should the ire occur at a pointy adjacent the sprinkler, heattherefrom will melt the fuse 26 ljust as effectively as an overloadpassed by the thermostat.

The invention' then provides a simple; effective sprinkler head,whereinV the parts, when assembled, act to close a iiow controllingvalve, but in which release of the valveV may be effected bydirectaction of heat or by indirect action of a thermostatically con-V trolledelectric circuit which is in turn `operable through the action of heat.

Y Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The combination with a sprinkler head having a iow controlling valve,of a togglev device for `holding the .valve on its seat, in-

cluding means forplacing stress upon said means including anV insulatingmember,

thermally Vresponsive means, and electroconductive means connecting"said thermally responsive means throughsaid insulating member t0 saidstress retaining means.

2. AV thermo-electric sprinkler head, com,-V

prising a flow controlling valve, a toggle device for seating saidvalve, means for placing said device under stress, said toggle deviceconsisting of toggle levers, a fulcrum member and a pair of toggle linkspivoted respectively to said levers and engageable with each other torestrain said levers from movement, one of said links being'pivotedadjacent an end, to its lever and having its other end extending fromthe leverV and thermally controlled means connecting said extended endto the other lever thereby to retain said links in engagement andeffective under the action of heat to permit a dis-en gagement of saidlinks. Y a

3. A thermo-electric sprinkler head, com prising a flow controllingvalve,`a toggle devicefor seating said valve, means for Yplac ing saiddevice under stress, said toggle device consisting of toggle levers, afulcruin member and a pair of toggle links pivoted respectively to saidlevers, and engageable with each other to restrain said levers frommovement, one of said links being pivoted adjacent an end, to its leverand having its other end extending from the lever and a fusible linkconnecting said extended end to the other lever thereby to Y maintainsaid device under stress until fusing of the link.

4. A thermo-electric sprinkler head, comprising a flow controllingvalve, a toggle device or seating said valve, meansfor placing saiddevice under stress, said to gle device consisting of toggle levers, aulcrum member and a pair of toggle links pivoted respectively to saidlevers, and engageable with each other to restrain said levers frommovement, one of said links being of insulating material and pivotedadjacent an end, to its lever and having its other end extending fromthe lever, a terminal on said extended end, and thermallyV controlledmeans connecting said terminal to the other of said levers formaintaining said device under stress, constructed to release said deviceunder influence of an electric overload, and thermostatically controlledmeans connected to said terminal and to said lever for passing anelectric overload through said lastmeans.

5. A thermo-electric sprinkler head, comprising a flow controlling valveanda Water deflector, a toggle device for seatingVV said valve, meansfor lacing said device under stress inclu ing said e deflector, saidtoggle device consisting of toggle levers, `a'ulcrum member and a pairof toggle links pivoted respectively to said levers and engageable witheach other to restrain said levers Vfrom movement, one of said linksbeing pivoted adjacent an'end to its lever, and having its other endextending` from the lever being of insulating material, and a fusiblelink connecting said extended end to the other lever thereby to maintainsaid device under stress until fusing of the link, jandfthermostatically con+ trolled means forrpassing ani electric-'overloadthrough said fusible link., i

- 6. A -thermoelectric.sprinkler head, comprising a flow controllingvalve, a-toggle device;V for seating saidvalve,l vmeans for placing saiddevicej under stress, said toggle' device consisting of toggle levers,,a fulcrum` vmemberxand a pairfof togglelinks pivoted respectively 'tosaid levers,f andengageable vvitheach` other to*-restrainsaid levers`from movement, one l of said links being pivoted adjacentan end to itslever, and having its v`other endextending rom'the lever being ofinsulatingimaterial and' carry'-V ing an electric-terminal, andv afusible link connecting said extendedend'to thefother lever thereby tomaintain y said deviceV under stress until fusingio'i1 the" link,and--thermof statically controlled Vmeans for passing` an electricover-load throughV Vsaid terminal rand fusible link.,V v Y 7. Athermo-electric sprinkler head,V comprising a ow'ncontrolling"valve,atoggle device for seating said valve, means for placing said 4- deviceunder stress, said togglez device consisting of togglell'evers,

a rocker hingeforming a Afulcrumbetween4 Y the ends of said levers, anda pairo'toggle links pivoted respectively to said levers-'and `enga,f;eable-vv`ith each other to restrain said levers from movement, one ofsaid links be ing pivoted adjacent an end, to its lever and having itsother end extending from the lever and thermally` controlled meansconnecting said extended end to the other lever f thereby to retain saidlinks in engagement, and effective under theaction of heat to permit adis-engagement of said links.

8V. A thermo-electric sprinklerhead, comprising a flow controllingvalve, a toggle device for seating said, valve, means for placing saiddevice under stress, said toggle; device consisting of toggle levers, aulcrum member and a pair of toggle links pivoted respectively toV saidlevers, one of said links having a bifurcated end andthe-other having aprojecting pin engageable with said end, whereby said links, whenengaged, re-

strain said levers from movement, said rst link being pivotedadjacentits bifurcated end to its lever and having its other endextending from the lever and thermally controlled means connecting saidextended end` to the other of said leversto retain said links and leversin engagement, saidV means being effective under the action of heat topermit a dis-engagement of said links.

9. A thermo-'electricsprinkler head, coml prising a vtloW controllingvalve, a toggle device for seating said valve, meansl for placing saiddevice under stress, said toggle device consisting Vof toggle levers, aful- Y crum member and a'pair of Atoggle links, one of which is pivotedintermediate its,

ends to one of said levers, and the other of which is pivoted atl itsend to the other of I said levers, said rst link having a forked end andsaid second link having a projection at its free-end engageable with thefork of said first link, whereby to restrain said levers from Vmovement,and thermally controlled means to retain said links 1n engagement,effective under the vaction of heat to permit a dis-engagement of saidlinks.

10. The combination With a sprinkler head having a flow controllingvalve and va Water deflector, of a toggle device. for holding the valvelon' its seat, means form? ing part of said deviceV for placing stresslupon said toggle device When in operative position, said deflectorhaving a portion cooperative Withsaid first means for placing vstressupon said device, said first means including anv insulating member,electrically fusible means normally retaining the toggle device understress effective under the action of heat to release said valve andhaving a terminal extending through said member, and thermostaticallycontrolled means, connected in circuit with said fusible means andterminal to pass electric Acurrents to said fusible means.

In testimony whereofl I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES E. GREENf

